Have you ever considered that your favourite men’s fragrance and cologne might not be vegan? It turns out that the majority of popular, luxury fragrances, perfumes and aftershaves on the market aren’t actually vegan-friendly, something I was really shocked by.
Cosmetics are one of the most common products that test on animals or use animal-derived ingredients. You’d be surprised how many fragrance notes aren’t actually vegan, but there are some luxury brands out there that are vegan or vegetarian, and cruelty-free – and I’ve found them for you.
Below, I’ve rounded up six of the best men’s fragrances that are vegan and cruelty-free. Also note that many of designer-inspired perfumes that are ‘inspired by’ popular scents are also vegan, so you’re spoiled for choice.
Vegan vs non-vegan fragrances: how do you tell?
You might be wondering: “how is a fragrance not vegan?!’ Let me tell you. Firstly, if a perfume is tested on animals, it’s not vegan or cruelty-free – duh. But aside from this, many fragrances contain animal-derived ingredients, like honey, beeswax and milk.
These notes are actually more tame than other ingredients. For example, if you have a natural musk fragrance, your bottle will contain the musk gland of a deer – yes, really. Other non-vegan fragrance ingredients include ambergris which comes from a whale and civet that comes from a civet cat, amongst many others.
To tell if a fragrance is vegan, look for a Vegan Trademark or PETA symbol for confirmation that your perfume or aftershave meets vegan standards.
Best vegan fragrances for men
According to The Fragrance House, all products manufactured in-house by Carolina Herrera are completely vegan and keep to a strict cruelty-free policy since 2021. Carolina Herrera Bad Boy Cobalt Elixir launched in 2024, and it sticks to these standards while offering an intense, aromatic fragrance. It has notes of sage, pepper, black truffle, vanilla and resinous wood, and it comes in a cool, blue-black lightning bolt-shaped bottle.
Similar to Carolina Herrera, Paco Rabanne’s in-house manufactured products have also been completely vegan since 2021. Its Phantom fragrance range has been popular for years – mainly because of its cool robot bottle – and the original is one of my favourites. It’s citrusy and earthy with layers of lavender, lemon, apple, patchouli, vanilla and smoke.
Malin+Goetz is well known for its extensive vegan fragrance and beauty collection. Its Dark Rum scent is its most masculine smelling fragrance, featuring fruity notes like patchouli, bergamot, plum and amber. As the name suggests, it has rum as the heart note, and despite having milk in its base, Malin+Goetz Dark Rum is vegan and cruelty-free.
Another newer fragrance, Issey Miyake Le Sel D’Issey came out in 2024, and is a perfect mix of citrus and marine notes. It smells like the ocean, with layers of sea salt and seaweed that are balanced with ginger, vetiver, cedarwood and oakmoss. It makes for a nice scent for the summertime.
Inspired by the South of France, L’Occitane Lavande Poivre Noir is spicy and woody with subtle fresh, herbal notes. At the top is lavender, with black pepper, nutmeg and cinnamon at the heart and cedarwood at the base. It’s intense, aromatic and long-lasting.
Phlur is another prominent vegan-friendly brand, and it has plenty of men, women and unisex fragrances under its belt. Phlur Cherry Stem is our pick here, a unisex scent that has sweet yet woody notes. You can expect layers of black cherry, jasmine, plum, orange brandy, caramel, ebony woods and leather.
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